Imperial College in London was ranked second in Europe (Source: Getty)

Lynsey Barber

The UK is home to more innovative universities than any other country in Europe apart from Germany, a new ranking reveals.

World-renowned Oxford and Cambridge ranked third and eighth, respectively, in a new list compiled by Reuters. But it's Imperial College which topped the list of UK universities, coming in at number two just behind KU Leuven in Belgium.

The UK boasts 17 of the 100 most innovative universities in Europe, just shy of Germany's 24.